Subscribe Now For Automatic Tips

Tag: the battle of the flesh

It’s not that I haven’t been tempted to give up…quit…on areas of my life where weaknesses seem to reign. You see, the temptation to throw in the towel is common to all of mankind. We get tired of struggling with our shortcomings.

Now some people will name the object of the struggle as sin. Here, though, is where I stand on that belief:

Sin is putrid and a destroyer. Sin is serious business. But, for the Believer, the fruit of the Cross of Jesus is also serious business…profound in effect.

The person who embraces the truth of Jesus for themselves has been set free from the sin nature. It is a misnomer to think of themselves as Sinners.

However, battling the flesh as it intrudes upon our souls continues in its attempt to defeat us. Satan’s battle over the root of who we are is finished.

“IT IS FINISHED!”

He knows it. He’s not ignorant. Instead, he switches tactic. His goal is to accuse you…remember: He’s the accuser and he’s not overlooking you.

One of the favorite little games he plays is to accuse you in a way that gets you to blame yourself. The spoiled fruit of self-accusation is self-disappointment, and self-despair that will lead to weariness of soul and giving up.

I was struggling one day with an issue that seemed like it would never be won…always over-power me.

This is what I heard the Lord say as I felt utterly defeated in my struggle. I knew, by faith, I was no longer a sinner by nature and that the Lord didn’t see me as one. But, at that moment, I also felt incapable of victory breakthrough over this piece of rotten fruit that had stained my soul.

The Lord said to me, “The power of My salvation is greater than the strength of your failures.”

On the one hand, those few words didn’t seem to speak practically to the battle. I mean…then why am I still struggling?” Yet, I knew it was a word to me from the Lord. How? Because it encouraged me. I felt stronger. I had hope to keep going.

In closing, here’s one thing that helps me on my journey of faith…and a struggle for it. I’ve learned (am learning) as I progress toward maturity that I am His and He is mine. That is a settled issue. Therefore, I refuse any accusations against that that try to intrude themselves on my thought life. On a parallel track, I complete simple actions that are within my control. The immediately visible outcome is out of my hands. I will not consider that. Instead, I focus on the little things that I can accomplish.

(Note: The little things are attitudes and actions that the Holy Spirit has settled onto my heart as I practice waiting on the Lord. There are logical things that are common sense. However, I let the Lord also confirm those things as my attention is focused on Him.)